The purpose of a GC (general commercial) zone is to permit a wide variety of nonretail commercial, light industrial and business while at the same time making the areas compatible with adjoining zoning districts.

(Ord. 543 § 1 (part), 2001)

Commercial applications must conform to the requirements of GBMC Chapter 17.30. R, NB, and CB zone uses, including conditional uses, are permitted outright upon the same terms and conditions and in addition, the following uses are permitted:

A.

Cabinet shops;

B.

Electrical and plumbing contractors as well as other building contractors;

C.

Lumber and feed store; provided, that when unhoused they shall be surrounded by a greenbelt or sight-obscuring fence eight (8) feet or more;

D.

Public garages and major auto repair shops;

E.

Sale of sand and gravel products, excluding the establishment of concrete batch plants and manufacture of concrete products;

F.

Public or private utilities;

G.

Hotels and motels;

H.

Storage garages for the storage of commercial vehicles;

I.

Drive-in theaters and other structures for amusement;

J.

Welding and metal fabricating shops;

K.

Shops producing merchandise to be sold at the premises or shops for repair, alteration, parking, assembling or fabricating of goods; provided, that the operations are not obnoxious or offensive by reason of the emission or production of odors, fumes, dust, smoke, wastes, noise, vibrations which would extend beyond the boundaries of the premises;

L.

Manufactured home, travel trailer, motor vehicle and equipment sales;

M.

Bakeries;

N.

Boat Sales;

O.

Assembly of electrical appliances and components including the manufacture of small parts;

P.

Advertising signs, in accordance with [Section] 17.06.030 and excluding billboards;

Q.

Frozen feed or cold storage lockers;

R.

Wholesale establishments;

S.

Machine shops;

T.

Laboratories;

U.

Printing plants;

V.

Bulk storage of petroleum products and gases, provided that all tank installations meet the setback requirements listed within the most recently adopted version of the Washington State Building Code, including WAC Title 51 and RCW 19.27.031, with all applicable amendments.

W.

Accessory uses and buildings normally incidental to the uses permitted in this section;

X.

Sawmills;

Y.

Mini-self-storage as set forth within GBMC Chapter 17.30;

Z.

Commercial kennels;

AA.

Grocery stores;

BB.

Repealed by Ord. 595;

CC.

Accessory structures constructed of non-combustible materials such as shipping containers, located in a commercial zone and used for storage shall be subject to the following conditions:

1.

Must be screened on all sides by a sight-obscuring fence, and

2.

A maximum of three (3) containers shall be allowed per primary business establishment;

DD.

Adult entertainment facilities.

(Ord. 595 §§ 27, 28, 2005; Ord. 565 § 3, 2002; Ord. 543 § 1 (part), 2001)

(Ord. No. 629, § 1, 9-20-2011; Ord. No. 684, § 5, 10-6-2015)

The following uses shall be prohibited:

A.

Animal black or bone black manufacturing;

B.

Blast furnace;

C.

Cement or lime manufacturing;

D.

Chlorine manufacturing;

E.

Creosote manufacturing;

F.

Distillation of wood, coal or bones or manufacturing of their by-products;

G.

Fertilizer manufacturing;

H.

Forge or foundry;

I.

Glue or gelatin manufacturing;

J.

Petroleum refining;

K.

Potash manufacturing;

L.

Rolling or blooming mill;

M.

Tar distillation or manufacturing;

N.

Tannery;

O.

Acid manufacturing;

P.

Explosive storage or manufacturing;

Q.

Extraction of animal or fish fats and oil;

R.

Incineration or reduction of garbage, offal, dead animals or refuse;

S.

Pulp manufacturing;

T.

Rendering of fat, tallow or lard;

U.

Slaughter house;

V.

Melting of ore;

W.

Stock yards;

X.

Asphalt batch plants and continuous mix asphalt plants.

(Ord. 543 § 1 (part), 2001)

Because of their size or impact upon surrounding properties, the following uses are subject to a conditional use permit:

A.

Group care facility;

B.

Hospitals;

C.

Travel trailer courts;

D.

Massage parlors, body painting and piercing studios, and public bath houses;

E.

Television and frequency modulation radio stations operating in the high frequency bands and requiring line of sight propagation of radio waves;

F.

Municipal water towers, reservoirs, pumping stations;

G.

Public buildings that do not qualify as permitted uses;

H.

Auto wrecking yards and junkyards providing they establish and maintain a sight-obscuring fence a maximum of eight (8) feet in height;

I.

Wholesale sales;

J.

Warehousing and distribution;

K.

Accessory uses and structures;

L.

Industry-serving commerce;

M.

Forestry;

N.

Agriculture;

O.

Marijuana related businesses meeting the Washington State location restriction provisions for recreational and medical marijuana businesses and restricted to general commercial zones only.

O.

1.

The map entitled "Available Parcels Map" is an advisory map only identifying parcels which may meet the criteria for a marijuana-related conditional use and is not intended to be an official zoning map. The advisory map may be adjusted by council action.

(Ord. 543 § 1 (part), 2001)

(Ord. No. 648, § 2, 11-12-2013; Ord. No. 671, § 1, 4-7-2015)

No minimum lot area shall be required.

(Ord. 543 § 1 (part), 2001)

No minimum lot width shall be required.

(Ord. 543 § 1 (part), 2001)

Minimum yard requirements for this zone shall be:

A.

Side yard, ten (10) feet;

B.

Rear yard, fifteen (15) feet;

C.

Front setback, twenty-five (25) feet.

(Ord. 543 § 1 (part), 2001)

Building height shall not exceed thirty-five (35) feet. Industrial or manufacturing buildings, excluding stacks and tanks and other structures not primarily for human occupancy, shall not exceed fifty (50) feet.

(Ord. 595 § 29, 2005: Ord. 548 § 1 (part), 2001; Ord. 543 § 1 (part), 2001)

The total building area of all buildings shall not exceed fifty (50) percent of the lot area, excluding industrial or manufacturing buildings not primarily for human occupancy, shall have no limits to lot coverage.

(Ord. 543 § 1 (part), 2001)

Parking shall be provided as set forth in Chapter 17.05.

(Ord. 543 § 1 (part), 2001)

Performance standards shall be provided as set forth in Chapters 17.04, 17.06 and 17.30. In addition permitted uses must conform to the following:

A.

Arc welding, acetylene torch cutting or similar processes shall be performed so as not to be seen from any point beyond the GC zone. In no case shall it be visible to drivers on the adjacent streets.

B.

Smoke, as measured by the smokescope shall not exceed No. 2, for periods aggregating four (4) minutes in any thirty (30) minutes or No. 3, for periods aggregating three (3) minutes in any fifteen (15) minutes when starting a new fire. Smokestack emission shall in no manner be unclean, destructive, unhealthful, hazardous nor shall visibility be impaired by the emission of a haze beyond the property boundaries which unduly impedes vision within apparent opaqueness equivalent to No. 2 of the smokescope.

(Ord. 543 § 1 (part), 2001)

Adult entertainment facilities shall be permitted in the general commercial zone as provided in GBMC Section 17.48.020(Z) only if the following separation requirements are satisfied:

A.

No adult entertainment facility shall be located closer than five hundred (500) feet from another adult entertainment facility, whether such other facility is located within or beyond the Gold Bar city limits.

B.

No adult entertainment facility shall be located closer than five hundred (500) feet from any of the following uses, whether such uses are located within or beyond the Gold Bar city limits:

1.

A residential zone as provided under GBMC Chapters 17.16, 17.20, 17.24 or 17.28;

2.

A public park as defined under Chapter 17.08 GBMC;

3.

A community club as defined under Chapter 17.08 GBMC;

4.

A public library;

5.

A day care center as defined under Chapter 17.08 GBMC;

6.

A family care home as defined under Chapter 17.08 GBMC;

7.

A family day care home as defined under Chapter 17.08 GBMC;

8.

A public or private primary or secondary school; or

9.

A church, synagogue, mosque, or similar religious facility wherein religious services and/or instruction is provided on a regular basis.

(Ord. 565 § 4, 2002)

The separation requirements specified in GBMC Section 17.48.120 shall be measured by extending a straight line from the nearest point of the lot containing the proposed adult entertainment facility to the nearest point on the property line of the lot containing the other adult entertainment facility, residential zone, public park, community club, public library, day care center, family care home, family day care home, school, church, synagogue, mosque, or similar religious facility.

(Ord. 565 § 5, 2002)

An adult entertainment facility shall be deemed a nonconforming use and shall be subject to the protections and requirements of Chapter 17.68 GBMC if a use specified in GBMC Section 17.48.120 locates within five hundred (500) feet of such facility after the date that such facility has located within the city in accordance with the requirements of this chapter.

(Ord. 565 § 6, 2002)